My Periods Have Been Irregular for a Year: Is There Something Wrong?

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Many women will experience missed periods at one time or another during their life. Whether due to anxiety, tension, or the expectation of pregnancy, periods can become erratic. However, fluctuations in hormonal balance can also significantly affect a women's menstrual cycle. Spotting, bleeding between cycles, or heavy bleeding are all normal symptoms of menstrual irregularities.

Why Is My Period Irregular?

The definition of “regular” varies among women. Normally women experience a menstrual cycle every 24 to 35 days, with 28 days being the average. Most women will develop a regular cycle during the course of puberty, with the same amount of days between each cycle. The average period should last between two and seven days, the average being five days.

Many medical experts will argue that a missed period or two is normal during the course of a year. But increased irregularities in the menstrual cycle, such as a period occurring more than once a month, or a disruption to the natural hormonal chain of events can indicate more serious concerns.

Several factors can be responsible for missed or irregular periods. These include:

Weight gain or loss

Poor nutrition

Smoking

Excess caffeine or alcohol use

Eating disorders

Specific medications

Radiation

Breastfeeding

Hormonal imbalance due to perimenopause

Drug use

Anxiety or stress

Abnormalities of the uterus

When Is a Period Considered Irregular?

A period is considered irregular and a doctor's advice should be sought if:

You are bleeding between periods.

Your periods are lasting longer than one week.

There is less than three weeks between your periods.Your periods are very heavy, where you need to change your tampon or pad under every two hours.

You are bleeding after sex.

There are many causes of irregular periods, which are most commonly experienced during puberty and menopause, yet most women experience irregularity due to imbalances of hormone levels within the body.

Missing a period can be considered normal in some cases but learning to recognize the causes and symptoms of an irregular period is important for your body and peace of mind. Look at the possible causes to help get your body back on schedule. Click on the following link to learn more about the different available treatments for irregular periods.

We strive to be the most informative menopausal health website. Over the years, we've helped millions of women gain the knowledge they need to thrive during the menopause transition. We encourage everyone to read and learn about menopause in order to achieve a healthy lifestyle and support the women in their lives.

The content of these informational pages is for educational purposes and health care support only and does not intend to be used for diagnosis or treatment of a health problem or as substitute for consulting a licensed medical professional.